A graduate who has gone on to work in human resources for a Premier League football club has been named Bournemouth University’s Alumni Volunteer of the Year.
Holly Roberts graduated from BU with a degree in events management in 2016 and is now HR Manager at AFC Bournemouth. She was presented with the Volunteer of the Year award by BU Vice-Chancellor, Professor Alison Honour, during the university’s graduation ceremony celebrations on Thursday 7 November.
Holly’s award recognises her involvement in a range of volunteering activities over the past year, including joining a panel session to help students understand the skills that employers are looking for, delivering a talk on careers in HR and leading a project for students to suggest improvements to diversity and inclusion in recruitment processes.
Holly said: “I’m truly honoured to receive this year’s award for Alumni Volunteer of the Year. It’s been a pleasure to be able to share stories, insights and tips to the students at BU, but also take the students unique and valuable experiences into our own work at AFC Bournemouth. I look forward to continuing working with BU and the students to help them on their journey into the working world.”
Each year, one graduate is chosen to receive the Alumni Volunteer of the Year Award. This recognises the scale and impact of their volunteering at BU, with a focus on activities which have enriched the student experience and enhanced student employability.
Dr Parisa Gilani from the BU Business School, who endorsed the nomination, said: “Holly has gone above and beyond to support students and enhance the student experience. In the last year alone, she has played a key role in a project with AFC Bournemouth which one student cited as a highlight of their degree programme. Holly really deserves recognition of all that she does and all that she contributes in terms of time, insight and engagement.”
